One Perfect Night
by SSVCloud
Summary: What if things that had gone wrong went right? What if the dark didn't snuff out the light? What would you give for one perfect night? Spoilers for Volume 3.


"What are you staring at?" Pyrrha asked, her face turning as bright a shade of red as her hair. Her perfect, soft, silken hair. "Do I have something on my face?"

"No," Jaune assured her, "You just…" He smiled and brushed a hand against her cheek. "What else would I be looking at? What else in the room is worth my attention? What else in the world?"

Pyrrha's face turned even brighter and Jaune had a few good seconds to chuckle at himself for that line, which he _totally_ hadn't been practicing for several days, before Pyrrha reminded him of her strength and speed and tackled him, sending both of them tumbling off the bed. They rolled together in a giggling tangle of limbs until Pyrrha fell on top of Jaune and pinned him down to plant a kiss on his lips.

The kiss was perfect. Just like their first kiss, and the kiss on their wedding night, and every kiss in between.

Jaune would always be thankful to whoever was up there listening that Ruby had been able to get to Pyrrha in time that night. They hadn't been able to kill Cinder, sadly, but they had at least driven her off. It took years longer to defeat Cinder, but in that time, Jaune had actually learned how to fight and had found the courage to ask Pyrrha out.

She'd punched him.

"What was that for?!" Jaune had asked.

Then she'd kissed him. It had been perfect

"For making me wait this long," she'd told him.

It had all been a blur, yet the wedding was as clear as anything. Jaune would remember that day for the rest of his life. Ren as his best man, Nora as the maid of honor.

Yang punching everyone in the face to get the bouquet.

Zwei somehow catching the bouquet.

Surprisingly, Sun cried the most out of anyone.

Jaune had joked with Pyrrha that they should both wear dresses again, but Jaune was glad she had talked him out of it. Compared to the way she looked that day, Jaune knew he would have looked even more ridiculous than usual.

Pyrrha had worn a gown of red silk that might have been cut straight out of a sunset with gold jewelry that shimmered like sunlight on the sea. Next to her, in his plain black and white suit, Jaune had felt so… normal. Lesser. He was sure that the sight of him would bring Pyrrha back to her senses and she'd cut and run when she realized she deserved better.

But then she had stood across from him at the altar and the look in her eyes reminded Jaune of a fact that he had struggled to accept since the day she told him.

"I love you, Jaune Arc," Pyrrha had said, both the day that he'd asked her out and in her wedding vows, "Practically from the day we met. Not because you were a great Hunter, although you've grown to be one. Not because of wealth or power or privilege. But because you are sweet and kind and caring, with a gentle soul and the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met."

"And I love you, Pyrrha Nikos, " he had told her. "I can't… can't even really put into words how happy you make me. How lucky I am. You're so wonderful and strong and I just-" Jaune had struggled not to cry in front of everyone he'd ever met.

"JUST KISS ALREADY!" Yang had blurted from the crowd. Ruby, face buried in Weiss's handkerchief, had elbowed her in the stomach. Pyrrha and Jaune laughed, which made them cry, and then they kissed. It was perfect.

Jaune was nearly crying now as he and Pyrrha lay on the floor, nuzzled up against one another in the afterglow. He was propped up on one elbow and just… looking at her. Taking in every detail of her. Every inch of her smooth, flawless skin, the way the light shone off her perfect red hair and twinkled in her green eyes.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked as she sat up and rubbed the wetness from the corners of his eyes with her thumbs. "What's wrong? D-did I do something?" Jaune shook his head, resting his forehead against hers.

"Nothing," he promised her. Pyrrha took Jaune by the shoulders and pushed him back so she could look him in the eye with as stern a look as she could give. "Okay," he told her reluctantly, "Okay." Jaune chewed his lip for a moment and looked down before looking back up to find Pyrrha still sternly waiting. "Sometimes, I have this… this dream. Where Ruby didn't make it. Where that one dance and that one kiss was all we ever had. Where you… where you…" he couldn't even force himself to say it. Just trying to imagine it brought him to the verge of tears. A life without Pyrrha. Would that even have been a life worth living?

"Oh Jaune," Pyrrha said softly as she pulled him into her arms, "It's alright." One hand reached to stroke his hair as the other held him against her chest. "I'm here. You're here. We're together. Nothing will ever change that." She held him there for a few moments and planted a gentle kiss on the top of his head. "Are you alright?" She asked.

"If I am, does that mean you'll let me go?" Jaune's voice was muffled and it was only then that Pyrrha realized that she had shoved Jaune's face against her breasts. She snickered and shoved him away.

"Jaune Nikos!" She teased him with mock-hostility, "You are impossible!" Jaune grinned as she playfully smacked at the back of his head.

"I thought that's why you married me, Pyrrha Arc." he retorted. Neither of them had taken the other's name, but it was still a way they liked to address one another when they were feeling silly.

She tried to tackle him but this time, for once, he caught her and pinned her down. He stared down at her for a moment before he bumped his nose against hers. It was so patently ridiculous that they devolved into helpless giggles before they fell into each other again. The sky was starting to purple again when they were finally exhausted and they had actually made their way back to the bed by that point, Pyrrha nestled against Jaune's chest as they began to drift off.

"Jaune," Pyrrha murmured sleepily, "Jaune… Jaune…"

"Jaune," Ruby whispered as she shook him gently, "Jaune!" Jaune sat up and rubbed sleep from his eyes.

"Wh-what is it?" he murmured. He felt the rocks and branches under his sleeping back and heard the crackle of the campfire intermingled with Nora's snoring. He had to fight a painful urge to scream as reality set back in. Pyrrha was dead. He was never getting her back. That was… that was it. _This_ was it.

"It's your turn to take watch," Ruby told him. Then she frowned and looked at Jaune. "Are you alright?" She asked. "You look like you didn't get much sleep. Was it a bad dream?" Jaune sighed and started to get up.

"Yeah," he muttered as he picked up Crocea Mors and made his way out to the edge of their camp, "I guess you could say that…"


End file.
